Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

What you need to know.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

It's basic physiology -- when you feel sluggish, unmotivated and
fatigued, getting up and doing some exercise causes changes in your body
that boost your energy. Exercise also releases endorphins in the brain,
and endorphins are great pain killers. So when people say those of us
with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome would feel better if we got "more exercise," there's something to it, right?Actually, no. In normal, healthy people, yes -- exercise creates energy. Problem is, we're not normal and healthy.Exercise is a tough subject, whether you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. However, it's not the same for both groups, so let's look at them separately.Fibromyalgia & 'More Exercise'

This myth is compounded by numerous studies showing that exercise
lowers our pain levels and does in fact give us more energy. Doctors
glance at the titles of these studies and tell the next fibromite who
walks through the door to go to the gym. What they're missing is that
the amount and type of exercise we need is far from what most people
would even consider exercise.

If we exert ourselves to the point
of exhaustion, we're probably going to trigger a major flare that lands
us on the couch for days or even weeks. We all have different fitness
levels so the exact amount of exertion we can handle varies greatly, but
generally speaking, we should exert moderate effort for just a few minutes on a regular basis.

There's ample clinical and anecdotal evidence to support that regular
exercise, done with extreme moderation, helps us. That means, for us,
an exercise regimen might consist of 2 minutes of gentle yoga per day.
If you're in better shape, maybe you can handle a 10-minute walk or 20
minutes of aquatic exercise to start with.

I consider myself in moderately good shape for someone with fibromyalgia -- I can go grocery shopping,
clean the kitchen and do a couple loads of laundry in the same day
(most of the time, anyway.) I can also get through a 30-minute yoga
routine without wiping myself out or having nasty repercussions. I
couldn't do that a year ago, though, and if I'd tried, I would have
crashed afterward. Two years ago, I would have crashed 10 minutes in;
and three years ago, just getting into the first pose would have done me
in on bad days. While I'm not the most consistent about exercise, I
have worked hard to slowly and steadily increase my activity level.That
slow, steady pace is what we need. If all you can do is 2 minutes, try
to be consistent about your 2 minutes. Eventually, you'll be able to
handle 4. The key is not pushing yourself too far too fast, and
expecting setbacks along the way.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & 'More Exercise'A key symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome is post-exertional malaise.
It's a period of intense, often debilitating symptoms that follows any
kind of exercise or exertion and lasts for a day or more (usually more.)
Research actually shows abnormalities in the blood chemistry of people
with chronic fatigue syndrome after they exercise, and those
abnormalities could very well provide the long-awaited diagnostic test
for this condition.

Some preliminary research also shows abnormal heart
rhythms during exercise, which could mean that exercise is actually
damaging your health.

For years, some chronic fatigue syndrome doctors and researchers have touted a treatment called graded exercise therapy (GET).
It's controversial to say the least, and while some studies have shown
that it can help some people, the methods used to arrive at that
conclusion are frequently called into question. Looking over the
available research, it seems to me that GET is only recommended because
it's more effective than most treatments that have been studied -- and
that's not saying a lot. However, it does help some people, as evidenced
by the comment below from Dr. Donnica Moore, a well-respected expert
who just signed on to work with the Whittemore Peterson Institute.

So what does all this mean about exercise and chronic fatigue syndrome? It really depends. There's clearly a reduced exercise tolerance,
but you're the only one who can determine exactly what your body can
tolerate. It all depends on your current fitness level and severity of
your illness. We all know that being sedentary increases muscle aches
and pains, so at the very least you might want to learn some simple
stretches you can do while laying in bed. Because of the evidence
suggesting heart abnormalities, you should talk to your doctor about
testing your heart to make sure exercise is OK -- here's a link to
studies you can show your doctor, and they contain testing information: Cardiac Involvement in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

What If You Have Both?If
you're diagnosed with both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome,
you're in a particularly difficult situation -- the right kind of
exercise may relieve some symptoms while exacerbating others. Again,
you're the only one who can figure out the right level of exertion for
yourself.

The Persistent Myth

The exercise
myth is one that's not likely to go away -- it's pretty firmly
entrenched in the medical establishment, and a consequence of an
uninformed public. What we need to do is know our own bodies, try to
educate those who are receptive, and ignore those who aren't. We're not
doing any good for anyone by over exerting ourselves and winding up in
bed for a week.